Radiocarbon dating of mumiyo samples from Antarctica

• Main Authors: Hiller, Achim, Hermichen, Wolf-Dieter, Wand, Ulrich
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2016
• Subjects: AmeryOasis2001/2002; Antarctica; Bunger_Hills; Bunger Hills; East Antarctica; Cairn_Peak; Dronning Maud Land; Geological sample; GEOS; Insel_Range; King_George_Island; King George Island; Antarctic Peninsula; MULT; Multiple investigations; Radok_Lake; Sampling/drilling in lake; Schirmacher_Oasis; Shackleton_Range; Shackleton Range; Untersee_Oasis; Victoria Land; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Shackleton; Nivea; Antarc*; Snow Petrels
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.863499; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.863499

Radiocarbon dating is a nimportant tool for reconstructing Late Quaternary paleoenvironmental history of the Antarctic continent. Because of the scarcity of datable material, new suitable substances are welcomed. We present here novel paleoenvironmental records subfosil stomach oil deposits (mumiyo). This waxy organic material is found in petrel breeding colonies, especialy in those of snow petrels, Pagodroma nivea. The substance is formed by acumulation and solidifica tion of stomach oil regurgitated for the purpose of defense. We demonstrate and outline the usefulnes and limitations of 14C dating mumiyo for determining dates of local ice retreat, moraines and petrel ocupation history.